whalley



E: WHALLEY.

TRUCK.

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fllww- IN V EN TOR.

A TTORNEYS.

E. WHALLEY.

TRUCK.

APPLlCATlON FILED FEB. 26. I915.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

IN VEN TOR WITNESSES:

A TTOR NE YS.

Cir

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ENOCH WHALLEY, OF WILLIMQNSETT, MASSACHUSETTS.

Application filed February 26, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known'that 1,,ENOCH VVHALLEY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at \Villimansett, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have Q invented a new and useful Truck, 'of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in trucks, for use in factories, warehouses, stores, and other places to haul goods or ma terials from point to point, and commonly known as elevating trucks, and said invention consists in general of a certain peculiar carriage and a certain peculiar bench or platform, the latter although adapted to coact or cooperate with said carriage being an entirely independent element complete and serviceable in and of itself, together with such mechanical parts or mechanism as may be needed to make the truck operative and render the same practical and 'efiicient, all as hereinafter set forth. The ordinary truck of this type consists of permanently con nected reciprocable sections arranged so that one section is adapted to be raised and lowered on the other section, and a bench \or platform is provided for the load to support the latter abovethe floor and leave room for the truck to be backed under the platform with its load before elevating the same and to be withdrawn after the platform with its load is lowered, and the principal object of my invention is to dispense with one of the aforesaid sections and utilize the bench or platform as a part of the truck, thereby reducing the number of parts and the expense of construction, producing a very low truck, which obviously is a valuable and desirable feature, and generally simplifying the apparatus in both structure and operation, all without detracting in any way from the utility of such apparatus, but on the contrary enhancing its usefulness and practicability.

A further object of my invention is to produce a truck with a separable carriage which can be easily and quickly operated to raise and lower the load, and readily drawn or pushed about in any direction, either when loaded or unloaded.

Still another object is to provide the truck with adequate controlling means for the load, including automatic breaking means and automatic locking and unlocking means. These automatic means, although not necesspeeification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 8, 1916.

Serial No. 10,700.

sary to the success of the truck, are very de sirable features and add to the value and eliiciency of said truck in many if not most cases.

I am enabled in this truck to employ an equalizing factor by means of which the raising of the load is performed, and the lowering of the load may be performed if necessary or desired, under conditions which require the putting forth, on the part of the operator, of an approximately uniform amount of force, from start to finish, the load in being elevated starting slowly and with the minimum expenditure of force,

and then, as said load continues to rise, the

force being in part absorbed in increased speed, such minimum expenditure thus continuing, and, inversely, the same thing bemg true or asm'iilar action taking place when the load 18 lowered, provided it be expedient to lower by hand or manually to control the lowering operation. Provision may also be made for supplementary or am:- iliary leverage, for the handling by the truck of loads of unusual weight.

This truck is very powerful and capable of handling a great weight.

Other objects and advantages will appear in the course of the following description.

A preferred form of embodiment of the invention, whereby I attain the objects and secure the advantages of the same, is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and I will proceed to describe the invention with reference to said drawings, although it is to be understood that the form, construction, arrangement, etc, of the parts in various aspects are not material and may be modified without departure from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings, in which like numerals designate like parts throughout the several viewsfFigure 1 is a top plan of the carriage of a truck which embodies my invention as aforesaid; Fig. 2, a fragmentary detail of the automatic drag or brake feature; Fig. 3, a cross section through such truck, taken through said carriage on lines 3-3, looking in the direction of the associated arroug in Fig. 1; Fig. 4, a bottom plan of the platform of such truck; Fig. 5, a side elevation of such truck, showing the an riage and the elevating parts in position ready to elevate the'platform; Fig. 6, a fragn'ientary detail illustrating the autoht l ie r.

inatie unlocking feature; Fig. 7, a longitu dinal vertical section throughsuch truck, taken through the carriage on lines TT, looking in the direction of the associated arrow, in Fig. 1, the platfornrbeing in raised position, and, Fig. 8. an elevation of one of the rollers with its trunnions.

The front end' portion of'the-tongue or handle of the truck is broken off in Fig. :3, and in Fig. 7 such terminal portion is broken off. but shown in proximity to the other portion of such handle, for obvious reasons. In the first view the handle extension is shown in inoperative position, while in Fig. 7 said extension is shown in operative position.

This truck comprises a 'floor bench or platform upon which the load rests at all times. such platform being provided underneath with one or more wedges which incline downwardly from front to rear. and a carriage provided with supporting menr bers arranged on an incline for said wedges and platf rm. the plane of inclination of said sup 'ioi'ting meinbers being! directed, downwardly and rearwardly.

The true t also con'iprises means for movin; the platform onto the carriage and se curing the same thereon. and for releasing said platform and permitting it to move. In practice the cardown onto the floor. riage ma v be forced rearwardly under the loaded platform during the elevating operation. and forced forwardl andpartlv from beneath said platform during the lowering operation. or there may in either case be a combination of movements. that is, both the carriage and platform may move longitudi iiall v but ordinarily it is the platform that moves longitudinallyorVliorizontally as well as vertically, when said platform is not loaded. wherefore this is a correctview to take of the operation of the unloaded truck. The truck illustrated in the drawings is dc ibed as follows:

.\t 1 is represented a platform provided withordinary side pie es or equivalei'it members which are designed to rest dire tly on the floor and to support said platform with its load at.tlie proper distance above the floor. ()n the underside of the platform 1 are two wedges l. although there inavbe more o r lesstl an that i'iuinber The wedges 4 extend lengthwise of. the platform 1 and incline downwardl from their front ends to their rear ends. as clearly shown in Fig. i. The wedges t are Spaced from the side ,pie -es or support. 2. as well as from ea h (in the underside of or beneath the platfoizii l and against the inner face of the supports is a pair of inclined ribs or shoulders The shoulders 3 are parallel with the .vcdggcs l. and th in lination or pit h of the uiidcrsides or edgcs of all of the e niciiibers is of th same d gre but the inclined plane of the shoulders is located slightly above that tlfrtllt' wedges. The platform and its members thus far described may be made of wood.

Secured to the front end of the platform 1 is a plate 3 which has a book 8 rising therefrom in the longitudinal center of said platform. slot 9 is cut in the platform t behind the plate Band at little to one side of the aforesaid longitudinal center.

Flie carriage. for the platform 1 comprises a suitable frame .i'nounted on a plu-' rality of wheels 10 and equipped with a plurality of transverse platforn'i supports.

of the carriage here consists of two side pieces 13. a cross piece or head it connecting the front terminals of said side pieces, and a tie-rod 1.? connecting said side pie es between their rear ends and centers. The width of the frame is such as to enable said frame to be introduced betuee' i the floorsupports -Zof the platform 1. said supports serving to guide said frame or the carriage into pla e under saidplatforiii. aml to prevent'the latter from beingdisplaced laterallv while on said carriage.

The platform supportspreviously alluded to should be of the anti-friction type. and in this ca.-.e consist of three rotatable men'i bei-s or rollers 1 and a. fourth rotatable member or roller l? which is shorter than the other three. .\ll of said rollers have truiiiiions which are journaled in the side bi es l t. The ll'llllllllllh of the roller 17 are indicated b v dotted lines at l in Fig l. and shown in full in Fig. H. and two oftlie wheel 10 are mounted on said trunnioiis'. lictwecii said roller and [lie side-picccs l-l. hie of the I(|ll('|. H3 is behind the roller 17. and the other two rollers I are in front or ahead of said roller 17. The lattcr is lonL enough to accommodate the two wedges l. and to separate the wheels It) on the (ruin iiioiis lfar enough so that the) can not be intcrefered with b v said wedges.

The arriage ma be equipped with |Ht'2lH olcontrol for one or more of the roll (is so that each of such rollers is prevented from rotating ba kward and is thu. 'itllrt' l lo crve as a dra; under the [tlnlf tl'hl l when the latter descends. To thi cud the roller l l. which is in front of the ticiod l ltltn one or more rat lict tcrth l l rut tlicrcin at onc end. and thc dctcnt i whi h lllt its rear end pivoted at 41 behind said roller to the side piece 13 that is contiguous to said teeth, extends forward into engagement with such teeth, the arrangement being such that said roller is permitted to revolve freely in a forwardly direction, but is prevented from revolving backward. The roller 16 having the teeth 10 offers no resistance to the platform 1 when the latter is drawn forward and upward; on the contrary it acts with the other rollers to facilitate such operation, but, when said platform moves rearward and downward and said toothprovided roller commences to rotate backward, one of said teeth is caught by the de tent 26 and said roller is locked against further reverse motion, with the result that the roller offers a certain amount of resistance to the platform, enough in fact, to prevent the platform from descending too quickly or without the application of pressure at the front end, according to the Weight of the load.

Projecting forward from the center of the head 14- is a'lug19, and this rests on a swivel hanger 20 for the third or front wheel 10. The hanger 20 is of ordinary construction and pivoted at 21 to the lug 19. The front wheel 10 is mounted on a short shaft or rod 22 carried by the hanger 20. There are three wheels 10 in the present construction, and as a rule this number is sufficient, since the front wheel both supports the corres iioruling end of the truck and serves as the guiding or steering wheel therefor, and the two rear wheels support the back end of the track. The hanger 20 is of the proper height to give the frame and the rollers 16 and 17 the required inclination. A pair of arms 23 ex tend forward from the hanger 20, and. the rear end of the handle 12 is pivoted at 21 to the front ends of said arm A recess 23 is made in the head ii to receive the latch or bolt 11 and permit the head of said bolt to project above the top of said head 14. There is a passage 27 through the head 1% from front to back to accommodate a bolt-operating lever or arm 23, such arm having its rear end pivotally attached at .29 to the back side of said head, and projecting in front of said head after passing through said passage and the bolt 11. The trip 39 has an operating finger at one end to engage the arm 28, and a counterweight i at the other end. and said trip is pivoted at 44 against the front side of the head 14 between said arm and the adjacent and of said head. \Vhere the trip 39 is so disposed on the pivot 41 that the counterweight 4 3 is at the outer end of said trip, the finger 12 is underneath the protriuling front terminal of the arm in, and said coun.tcrwcight is eX- erting a tendency to raise said finger and arm, with the result that. through the me dium of these parts, the bolt 11 elevated into operative position and retained in such position, under normal conditions; and, when said trip is reversed on said pivot, said counterweight is brought into contact with the said arm from above and rests on the same, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. (i. The counterweight is heavy enough to press down the arm 28 and so withdraw the bolt 11 from locking position. in the absence of a superior force applied to said bolt. Normally the trip 39 retains the bolt 11 in projected position, the head of said bolt then being in the path of the plate (3 or in position to contact therewith and in line with the slot 9, when the carriage is introduced beneath the platform 1, but, by pressing the front end of the arm 28 downward, said bolt is withdrawn by said arm from said projected position. Upon the release of the arm 28 the trip 39, if disposed with the finger 42 under said arm, acts to raise the latter and thrust the bolt 11 upwardly again into lock ing or engaging position. the upward rise of said bolt being limited by said arn'i and the top of the passage 22'.

The handle 12 is provided with extensible or lengthening means, in order that the le verage and consequent power of the same may be increased when occasion demands.

Such means here consists of an extension 9 handle 30 in the form of a double-sided member to embrace the forward part of the handle 12, and which has a stirrup 31 at one end to engage said handle 12, and is pivoted at 32 to said handle near the front end thereof, such pivot passing through said handle 30 a short distance from said stirrup. The pivot 32 is a rod which forms the crosspiece, -bar, or and of the handle 12, and there is a cross-rod 33 which passes through the free terminal portions or free ends of the aforesaid double-sided member. The cross-rod 33 forms a part of or is an adjunct to the handle 30. When the extension handle is not in use it is soturned on the pivot or rod 32 as to enable the cross-rod 33 to rest on the handle 12, as shown in Fig. l. and when required for use said extension handle is swung over on said pivot into a forward position until. the stirrup 31 comes into engagement with the underside of said handle 12, as shown in Fig. 7. \Vhen the auxiliary handle is in the last-noted position the length and efiiciency of the tongue or handle as a whole are increased and augmented to a considerable extent.

An upwardly or rearwardly extending equalizer link 34 is pivoted at 35 to the bandle 12 a. short distance from the pivot 24, and said link has a transverse bar 36 arranged to come into contact with said handle, when said link is rocked reamvardly or downwardly. and thus to limit the movement of said link, on the pivot 35, tow rd the pivoted end of said handle. A member,

in the form of a hain ii' having one end attarhed to the Fink H and provided at the other end with a ring E8 to engage the hook is prmided it, the detaehahle eonneeting medium hetween the handle l2 and the platform 1. The arrangement and proportions of parts are llt'l] that the initial line of draft hetween the pirot It? and the hook 8, when the rhain T? is eonneeted therewith, is [l'tllL'llt or dirert. the har 3 heing then out of tontaet with the handle 1:1.as shown in Fig. 5, hut the line of draft heroines indireet aid pivot l.\ swung forwardlv and downwardl and 2tl l har t itlt1lt't:- with said handle. as -hown in Fig.1. 7. The ehange eommen es when the handle 1;! eneounters the hair 2h. as aid handle is swung; downwardly and f t\ ';tt il on the pivot :24, and so tl(.'[ll:itt. the link lit out of line with the ehain 3T. .Sll l linl; then flllt'l'tlttlltlg on the har 3 At the la-; 'innin; of the forwaidly and down wardlw swinging or lifting stroke of the handle 12. therefore, the draft is direet and most powerful. hut the ttlU\"llIPIltI is very low. a hould he the ea-e in order to start the platform forward and upward on the rolleri and 17. hen, as said hail-- ole eonta ts with aid liar and eauses the link Fit to desrrihe at the ehain end an are of a eirele. the mow-merit is a relerated in eompensation for the tlt(l'ttt. t in liftin; or propelling, l'oree r quired to rarer illtl platform to its high po-ition after heine' titttt l. The same rule applies to the lo\\'e.rin; of the load, only in\er el in the erent the handle 1:! he employed to eontrol the :tt'tioti of the load in descending. Th advantage of the -i 1 whet-eh is ohtained in tlll': truek the straight or approximately straight initial draft whi -h ehanges to an indirert or angular draft. i. elearly apparent. since more power is required to tilt'l, the load forward and upward than to r' inpl te the operation.

The shoulders 3 are o v ituated il to he over the ide |i. t't. Iii. iust elearin; the same. when the platfr m l i elevated on the earriage. Hht'IpHHllY they preu-nt aid platform with it l ad from tippiu; o\er on either side and from ru 'ltiirj laterall The load not infretpiently is or itt'ttllit'.\ laterally overhalanetal or has a tendene to til-rate or o eillate in iu-h a manner as to .--hit't i s ha e laterally. and in an) v\urh e\ent tle llutiltlt't' 5 on the oierhalain'ed ltlt. immediatel routes to rest on the ltlt pieee 1Z5 heh w and thus supports the platform and l ad on that ide. as just intimated, even the slight e-t t ndener to tilt sidewi theing alnnmt int;ttltl oreri-ome h r this meal and in hi nianner. (N there is no roehing mo\elnent as long a the wedge l rest quarely on th ir supporting; roller, I and Ii and the itjtiitiit 1 alway preient lateral ll -l lit 'liltlli. on th in lined plane of the true-k, such displacement being distinguished from the tilting or rocking motion to which referenee has been made.

The operation of the truek as a whole is deserihed as follows: The carriage is first hacked under the platt'orn'i 1 until brought to a stop by the rollers. l6 and 17 coming into eontaet. with the wedges 4, when the handle 12 is swung upward on the pivot it into an approximately \ertieal position and the ring t is thrown o\ et the hook S; then said handle is foreed down again with the. result that said platform, with its lead, through the medium of the link 3-H. the chain 37 and said hook, is drawn forward and up ward on said earria 'e said wedges riding on said rollers, until the supports :2 are well ahore the floor, when the plate t3 erowds by the lateh ll, whieh is held up by the arm 2% and the trip finger t2, and said latch snaps into the slot 9: the pressure on and handle is new dist-ontinutal and said phat forrn left in engagement with said latch. the latter holding the former tturely so that it ean not slide down on the earr age: next) the tru k is hauled to any desired point. by means of said handle whit-h ran at t he manipulated freely hethet or hot, hain he discontinued from said ltHL t tltt arm 2 is aetuated to withdraw said late]; from said slot and so to permit said platform to mow rearwardlr and downwardly on said carriage. said wedges riding on said rollers as before, until said supports out-e more eome to rest on the floor: and finally, the earriage is withdrawn from. the platform. leaving the mine with the load t;t]t lllt f as just plaeed. If the arm 25 be operated with the foot or h hand to witlr draw the holt It to release the platform, either the rin i hould he removed from the hook or the handle 1;: shouid he grasped. If the ehain 37 he left eoiuie teti with the hook the lowering of the plat form and load ean he eontrolled easily hy means of the handle: usually. however. the, platform and load may he permitted to slide oil the earriage without manual eontroi. atiji when the detent i is empl ved eten a slight I't.\ lllt applied to the front of the load may he needed to eause the load to descend. .\s jtht ohseiwed the arm 2o may he. operatt-d h means of the foot, or even by the hand to unlateh the platform. but generally, after the platform is elevated. t :e trip 39 is re\et'st d to lo ate the ottutet'weight i3 (in arm. and said platform is unlatehed or litilot lted l) hearing down on the handle I.) hieh must at the time he eonneeted with the hook to draw said platform slightly forward. a hen vsaid munterweight ea uses the laleh ll to he drawn out of the slot J. In this way the platform is automatically unlo ked. and after hein; so unlocked said platt'orni is lowered in the manner pre- \iously explained. Before the platform is i. i Mil-a and lot

again raised on the carriage, the trip 39 should be turned over so as to locate the finger 42 under the arm 28 and cause the head of the latch 11 to he again projected into the path of the plate 6.

The angle of inclination of the parts must not be so great as to call for the expenditure of an excessive amount of force in order to elevate the load, or to cause the load to descend too rapidly and with too great a shock, although this latter can be avoided by providing whatever locking appliances may be required for the rollers, or exercising control by means of the handle 12 and the connecting members between said handle and the platform.

Owing to the fact that the rear wheels 10 are mounted on the trunnions 13 of the roller 17, the plaform in being actuated forward rotates said roller in the opposite di rgction to that which said wheels would naurally have a tendency to take during the elevating operation, and said wheels are con.- sequently given a tendency in the other d rection, which is a factor in assisting to cause the carriage to remain stationary during said elevating operation, and, conversely, the same condition prevails during the lowering operation, so that the carriage is not shot forward as it were by the descending load. Nevertheless, in many cases the can riage moves horizontally rather than the latform and load, during both the elevating and lowering operations, but the desired results are obtained just the same as though the carriage were always immovable during such operations.

It is conceivable that, in some cases and for some purposes, the floor supports 2 might be omitted and the platform used in connection with supports which were permanently located on the floor at different points where it is desired to place the platform.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is

1. The combination, in a truck, of a separate floor platform provided with an intermediate wedge, a carriage adapted for temporary engagement with said platform, such carriage being provided with wedge-receiving supports arranged on an inclined plane, and normally unsupported by said carriage, actuating means connected with said carriage and adapted to be temporarily connected with said platform, whereby the latter may be drawn forward onto the former and thus raised from the floor, andlateral means of support for said platform when o'verbalanced, such lateral means of support beingoutside ofand inclined to correspond with said wedge.v

2. The combination, in .a truck, with a separate floor latform provided with underneath shoul ers at the sides and an intermediate wedge, such shoulders having a pitch to correspond to that of said wedge, of a carriage adapted for temporary engagement with said platform, said carr age comprising a frame provided with wedge-re ceiving supports, such frame with said supports being inclined to correspond to the inclination of said shoulders and wedge, and actuating means connected with said carriage and adapted to be temporarily connected with said platform, wherewith the latter may be raised onto the former, said shoulders being over-the sides of said frame when the latter is beneath said platform.

3. The combination, in a truck, with a separate floor platform having a wedge intermediate and. parallel with its longitudinal edges, of a plurality of wheels, a frame mounted at an incline on said wheels, a plurality of wedge-receiving.revolub-le supports mounted in said frame and extending between the sides thereof, the axes of said supports being fixed, and actuating means connected with said frame and adapted to be temporarily connected with said platform, the two latter being relatively longitudinally movable;

4. The combination, in a truck, with a wet ,e-provided platform, of a frame provided with plurality of rollers, the axes of said rollers being fixed, and one of such rollers having trunnions journaled in said frame, wheels mounted on said trunnions, a swivel support at the front end of said frame, a wheel carrying said support and with the latter retaining said frame in an 100 inclined position with the front end higher than the back end, a handle pivotally attached to said support, and detachable connecting means between said handle and said platform. 105

5. The combination, in a truck, with a separate platform having floor supports adapted normally to rest on the floor, and provided underneath with lateral shoulders and an intermediate wedge, the bottom edges of said shoulders being inclined similarly to the wedge incline, of a carriage adapted for temporary engagement with said platform, said carriage consisting in partv of an inclined frame receivable beneath said shoulders and provided with supporting members for said wedge, and actuating means connected with said carriage and adapted to be temporarily connected with said platform, whereby the latter may be raised onto the former.

6. The combination, in a truck, with a separate floor platform, having a wedge intermediate of and parallel with its longitudinal edges, of a carriage adapted for temporary engagement with said platform, said carriage consisting in part of a frame which is upwardly tilted at the front end and inclined downwardly and rearwardlv therefrom to the back end, wedge-receiving revolubhsupports in said frame between the idesthereof and carried h vsuch sides in an inclined plane. the axes of such supportsbeing fixed. and actuating means connected with said carriage and adapted to be tem porarilv connected with a1d platform.

whereby the latter ma) be drawn forward onto the former and thus raised from the floor.

T. The combination, in a truck, with weilge-provided platform, of a carriage-provided with wedge-receiving rotary supports arranged on an inclined plane means to convert one of such supporh into controlling means for said platform when descending, and actuating means for said platform and carriage.

81 The combination, in a truck, with a wedge-provided platform, of a carriage provided with wedgereceiving rotary supports arranged on an inclined plane, means to prevent one of such supporte from rotating except in one direction, and actuating means or said platform and carriage, 1

f). The combination, in a truck, with a .\'edge-pro\'ide(l platform. of a carriage consisting in part of a frame and a plurality of rollers arrangedqit an incline, one of such rollers being provided with teeth, a (letent pivotally attached to said frame and adapted to engage said teeth and prevent rotation of the tooth-provided roller except in one direction, and actuating means for said platform and carriage.

IN OCH W HALLE Y. Vitnesses F. A. CUrrER, A. C. FAIRBANKS. 

